Of Blood and Duty

Chapter Seven • Wood and Steel

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-Lliam-

He had pushed her too hard, again. Had been too greedy in wanting to get a reaction from her, and very careless with those who she had warned him about. Those who might hear or see things he did or said.

Resentment had boiled in those dark rich eyes of hers after he had boldly pressed her to a breaking point. He had seen it as she had taken that first step away from him after letting go of his collar. Her fingers appearing as if burned the second they were free of him. The resentment in her eyes mixed with frustration into a violent whirlpool caused by him not heading her warnings about potential threats lurking around them. That standing out in the open in the tunnels like that and threatening her, for anyone to see or hear, was not only dangerous for him but also for her.

Indeed, he had gone too far. He knew that.

Despite the inner guilt piling up withing him, which his stupidity and carelessness had been the cause of, he had learned something new about her. He had learned that Mae was not someone to push or pick at if you wanted her to do something. She had to be coaxed or lured into it in other ways... ways he needed more time to discover in order to explore them, and her. What made her simmer and what made her explode. Yes, he needed time to know more about her. Needed to spend time around and with her, alone and in the company of others, to try and figure out who she really was. One of those would not give him anything since she seemed to act differently depending on who was, or was not around.

She acts different even when it is just the two of us... He thought to himself. Has been calm in one minute and unpredictable in the other. Maybe she does it on purpose... so I cannot foresee what she will do next... or maybe not just I? Maybe she does it so no one can predict what she will do next? Thoughts jumped on top of each other as he chased after her.

From her point of things, it might have looked like I challenged her. Disrespected her and in doing so, made her appear like someone the others can go up against as well. His guilt presented itself like a knot in his gut. Sending out aching waves of remorse. If I, an outsider, disrespects her - than anyone could get the idea to do the same... He thought as he trekked after Mae in the tunnel. Trying his hardest to keep up with her, but failing miserably and only catching the occasional glimpse of her whenever she turned a corner. That she is Evor's daughter would not help her if someone was to after her... He thought and the waves of remorse turned into something worse. Panic and fear. Tied to the danger he might have put her in. Evor had stated, straight and clear, that she had never, and would never, get special treatment just because he was her father.

Lliam had no doubt in his mind by now that Evor was some form of leader of the Guild. Perhaps he was not the chief, but he was at least someone the others looked to for guidance. A commander of some sort, perhaps? Was that the reasons for his reluctance to meddle on his daughter's behalf?

"Hurry up." Mae's voice ripped his gaze upwards as bounced of the walls of the tunnel and engulfed him entirely.

She was standing at the bottom of a flight of steps with her left foot on the first step, her right hand resting on the railing. The steps were constructed out of wooden boards with big nails hammered into uneven patterns. Appearing to have been built by someone who did not care how it looked as long as it was secure and could endure people coming up and down it for years on end.

He opened his mouth. "I cannot make-" She bolted up the steps before he had finished his sentence and was gone before he had realized she had moved. She seemed more than willing to leave him to find his own way to where ever they were going and to his slight surprise, and disappointment, she did. Mae was gone and when he stood where he had last seen her, he looked up. Eyes searching for her at the top, but found nothing but darkness. "I cannot walk up a fucking flight of steps and be expected to train." He muttered out into nothing. Speaking to no one except maybe the steps. And she knows it. He kept that last part to himself, so no one would overhear him speaking them, or about her.